Team Development

Tuckman, jointly with Mary Ann Jensen, developed the five stages of team building.
The five stages:

• Stage 1: Forming
• Stage 2: Storming
• Stage 3: Norming
• Stage 4: Performing
• Stage 5: Adjourning

"In the "adjourning" stage the project is coming to an end and the team members are moving off into different directions" (Abudi, 2010). I personally believe high-performing groups are hard to leave especially at the beginning. It's always refreshing to be a part of a team that is built on a strong foundation and works well together.  

In college, I had the experience of working with a team where we set clear objectives and assignments, everyone was very vocal yet respectful. It made for great conversation while working on our project.  Everyone did their fair share of work and when it was time to adjourn we wanted to keep the conversation going.  Some kept in touch by exchanging phone numbers and became friends. I feel that this will be the same ritual when finishing this Master's program. We will be able to keep in touch so that we can be a reference as well as a support system for each other. The last stage adjourning, is important because it gives the group a since of closure and accomplishment. 

Communication Inside and Out

So it did not surprise me that although the scores were different my co-worker, friend and I answers were in the same categories. Our results for communication anxiety level was low, verbal aggressiveness scale was moderate and listening styles profile was people oriented. I wish I could have found someone who has not known me for a long period of time. Maybe the results would have been different! I am a pretty straight forward and true to myself type of person. What you see is what you get and people that are around me know me.

Through this week's assignments, I learned that first impressions are something most people like my self judge others on. I need to be more open to not assuming one's character is the same as when I first meet them. It is important to get to know people and not prejudge them. This learned trait is something that will take time, skill and effort but I'm open and ready to change my train of thought!

With so much going on in our world today we need to reflect on the great words of Dr. King:

Communication and Culture

The way I communicate depends on my audience. 

When communicating with children, my tone of voice is passive. I also watch what I say. Children are like sponges; they absorb everything! Another thing that I like to do when talking with children is asking them open-ended questions. I want them to expand their vocabulary and I feel that yes or no questions is limiting them from that. Lastly, non verbal communication is important to use, therefore, I use facial expressions and gestures to help get my point across.

My communication is somewhat different when I talk to parents and others outside my family and friends. I am more articulate. I do not use jargon or slang. My eyes stay on my audience. I like to read the person who is listening to me. Although, I still use facial expressions and gesture, they are not as animated like when conversing with children, family and friends. I also like to be on the same level and the person I am talking with. For example, if the person is standing, I feel like I should be standing too. 

I am more relaxed when I talk to family and friends. I use a plethora of jargon and slang. I also may not be as focused as I am with children and others outside my circle. With them I do not always think about what I will say or how I will respond, I just say it. No filters are needed. I also have the tendency when talking with my family and friends who are like family to touch them. I might touch a shoulder, give a pat on the back or grab their hand to show my concern or excitement.    

Each group of people and should be treated accordingly. Tony Robbins quote pretty much sums it up:

Sound On/Off

Let me first start off by saying that I used to watch TV with the sound off all the time when I was a child! I would watch the stories (Young and the Restless, All My Children, As the World Turns and General Hospital) on mute with my cousins. We would make up our own script. It was so much fun. Each of us would choose a character and play out their role. 

For this assignment, I went to Netflix and chose the show, Raising Hope. This show was funny on mute as well as with sound. For me, nothing really changed. The only "AHA" moment that I had was when I watched it on mute, I was trying to figure out how the characters were related or associated with each other. 

Thank you for this assignment, it brought back so many memories! I will be doing this with my children very soon. I hope they have as much fun as I did. 

Communication

(Pictured in photo from left to right: former co-worker, my mother, Sr Brenda, and myself)

Sr Brenda Cherry

Sister Brenda Cherry is a nun that worked at St. Benedict the Moor School in Washington, DC. Sr. Brenda served as my Religion teacher for three years, she also was the principal of the elementary/middle school I attended.  When I graduated from college, I was hired as the fourth grade teacher and Sr Brenda served as the teacher supervisor at St. Benedict the Moor.  

While I worked with Sr Brenda, I had the honor to witness her ability to effectively communicate with  the parents of the students at St. Benedict.  On several occasions, Sr. Brenda communicated with parents regarding students behavioral issues or educational obstacles.  During those conferences, Sr Brenda eased the concerns of the parents while thoroughly explaining her concerns.  Sr Brenda effectively addressed each issue and presented resolutions that were amenable to the parents.

As a supervisor, Sr Brenda remained engaging during the staff meetings.  She presented programs that served the community, educators, parents and students. In addition, she was very informative, helpful and maintained an open door policy.  As the principal, Sr Brenda often communicated obstacles she observed, but never created a confrontational environment.  During meetings, she would maintain a relatable atmosphere that allowed for open and sharing conversation amongst the staff.

As a student of Sr Brenda's, I witnessed her ability to communicate with students of different needs.  In my class, there were varying levels of needs.  When a student presented a special need, Sr Brenda was patient and worked diligently to make sure the student reached a point of understanding.  Additionally, Sr Brenda also proved to be confidant when students needed to discuss difficult obstacles in their lives.  Not only did Sr Brenda communicate effectively as an educator, but she served as a counselor in difficult times. She was very approachable and welcomed conversations with her at any time.

As an educator/caregiver, I strive to mimic the behaviors and commutation skills of Sr Brenda in many ways.  As I communicate with parents, I use the strategies Sr Brenda used, by clearly communicating my concerns while presenting accessible resources to the parents.  This method has proven most effective with parents of special needs students as well as those with exceptional circumstances.

As a supervisor in my current position, I often reference the approaches Sr Brenda used. When I present new ideas or initiatives, I reference her patient attitude.  If confronted with frustrations expressed by staff members, I attempt to properly explain the purpose the new program or initiative to get 100% buy-in.

As a student of Sr Brenda's, I remember her patient approach.  Sr Brenda rarely became frustrated or showed a negative attitude.  As an educator, I reference her skill in patience.  In my profession, I work with children with special needs and use the communication skills Sr Brenda used when teaching at St. Benedict the Moor. My goal is to listen, understand and address any situation as they may arise.

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!

This by far has been the most interesting class in the program! I have learned so most that I can apply to my daily life that will make me a better educational professional. One hope that I have when I think about working with children and families who come from diverse backgrounds is that I get to know them and work with them in an unbiased and nonjudgemental way! I hope one day we can all live in a prejudice free and unbiased world.

I have had so challenging times during this class but with great support form my professor and colleagues, I pulled through.

I want to take the time to give a special thanks to Dr. Horton. Thank you for your understanding, feedback, advice, and words of encouragement. It was greatly appreciated.

I also want to thank group #3. We were a small group which I liked. It was more imitate and personal. I wish you all success on the rest of your educational journey and I hope I get the pleasure of working with everyone in future courses!

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

When I entered high school, I kept my hair in a ponytail and wrapped up in a bun. I would never let it down. Well, during our winter break, my step-mother trimmed my ends and straightened my hair. I returned back to school with my hair out. At the time my hair was all the way down my back. I would describe my hair as fine and curly. Both of my parents are from the Native and African American decent. Everyone is my class kept asking me was this my real hair or weave. One girl even ran her hands through my hair to see if it was extensions or a wig because she did not believe me. I felt so uncomfortable that I went into the bathroom and put my hair back up. Negative comments and remarks were from different races; even my own ( white, black and asian). If I were put into this situation today, my reaction would be different. I would inform my classmates that everyone's grade of hair is different and not all black people wear weaves or have 'nappy' hair. I also would leave my hair out and ignore all the negative comments that were directed towards me.

Welcoming Families From Around the World

I have  a student starting my day care center who has recently immigrated form Bali, Indonesia. 

• Five ways in which I will prepare myself to be culturally responsive towards this family:
• I will research and talk to the family about the following:

1. Religious Impact 

2. Family Structure 

3. Differences between Eastern & Western Civilization 

4. Perspective on Education 

5. Impact of Genders in Culture 

          Children in Bali practice Buddhism.  Some Buddhist sects require that women wear head coverings.  I will prepare myself, through internet research and conversations with the parents, to educate myself on the requirements of the religion. I hope that this preparation will benefit the daycare and the parents to avoid the child feeling isolated or singled-out.  

          Most Eastern civilizations adhere to assigned gender roles.  Generally, males work outside of the home, while women assume more domestic responsibilities.  Western cultures often do not recognize these roles and share responsibilities based on requirements of the home.  Knowing the difference, I will research how to introduce various gender assignment in order to avoid offending the parents and making interaction uncomfortable.  In writing this blog, I recognize that conversations with both parents are required to determine who will assume childcare correspondence.

          In Bali, most children attend school for four hours each day for six days a week.  Most children, including children at our day care, are under our care for eight to nine hours for five days a week.  It is important that I research how to better maintain the child's attention and focus in the extended environment. 

Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

My landlord came to pick up my rent check a couple of weeks ago. I notice she had a new hair cut. It was low on the sides and longer at the top. I really liked the new style on her and gave her compliment. She said thanks but followed with "I have to be careful with this cut because I do not want people the think I'm a "wigger"." The term "wigger" is used by white people who think other white people are trying to be a "nigger." I was in such shock about her comment it was dead silence for a moment then aha told me goodbye and left. I personality believe that since we have a very close relationship she honestly forgot that I was black or felt comfortable using that word around me. Although, I was a little bothered by this, I did not let it get to me. Sadly to say being Afroamerican, I come across this type of behavior all the time. Life is too short to stress or get upset my other's ignorance. I always say to myself, they did't know any better and move on with my life. 

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

        •       Jennifer

• Jennifer defines culture as the way people live.  Jennifer believes that culture reaches beyond ethnicity and race, but extends to an individual’s way of life.  Jennifer is culturally different from me because she is a Caucasian female. 

• Jennifer defines diversity as the inclusion of different cultures in an environment.  Diversity is ensuring there is representation of different cultures in that particular environment.  Her definition of diversity is most impacted by equality in representation. 

• Jaleel

• Jaleel defined culture as how you live, your way of life.  Culture, to Jaleel, has to do more with family and what your family taught you as you were growing up . Jaleel is different from me because he is an Asian male.  

• Jaleel looks at diversity as making sure there are different people in every group.  Jaleel looked at diversity as a necessity for understanding culture.  

• Brandon

• Brandon defined culture in relation to his sexuality.  Brandon is homosexual and relates to that culture in activities and lifestyle.  Brandon is different from me because he is a homosexual male.

• Brandon defined diversity by the inclusion of all members of the LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transexual, Queer) community.  Brandon related most of his diversity comments to the most recent inclusion of Caitlyn Jenner and the recent acceptance of Transgender individuals.

Jennifer’s answers were very direct and backup what we have been reading this week. Culture is a way of life and diversity is a mixture of cultures in one environment. Jaleel’s description of culture and diversity comes from a non traditional perspective. Like me, they work together in a family business and value family over everything. James’ views on culture and diversity derive from his recent years. Several years ago he “came out” and while everyone in his family was excepting, he reals more comfortable hanging and relating to people who are like him. Conversations with the people I interviewed altered my opinion about culture and diversity greatly.  In our discussion, my impression about culture changed based mostly on Jaleel’s opinion.  Culture, in my opinion, was mostly

based in how you currently live.  Jaleel helped influence my perception in considering my family's upbringing and what was taught as I grew up.  In relation to diversity, I looked at Brandon as being responsible for the biggest change in perception. Diversity, before this exercise, looked mostly a race and gender. Conversations with Brandon helped me look to sexual orientation and gender reassignment.  I have always been accepting of all individuals, my opinion about the acceptance of individuals with different sexual orientations has broadened. I also attribute popular cultures and entertainment in assisting with this change in my perception. 

My Family Culture

Imagine the following:

A major catastrophe has almost completely devastated the infrastructure of your country. The emergency government has decided that the surviving citizens will be best served if they are evacuated to other countries willing to take refugees. You and your immediate family are among the survivors of this catastrophic event. However, you have absolutely no input into the final destination or in any other evacuation details. You are told that your host country’s culture is completely different from your own, and that you might have to stay there permanently. You are further told that, in addition to one change of clothes, you can only take 3 small items with you. You decide to take three items that you hold dear and that represent your family culture.

• A description of the three items you would choose and how you would explain to others what each of these items means to you

First, I would take my family's photo album. As a family, we often gather at my grandmother's house and look back at old pictures while we laughed and talked about the good ole' days. These photos helped me discover who I am and how I fit into this big world we live in. Second, I  would bring my jewelry box. This box holds my earrings and necklaces given to me throughout the years as well as pieces that belonged to the women in my family who have passed away. These items are treasures to me and hopefully one day I will be able to pass them to my two daughters. Last, I would take a flashlight. Whenever there was a storm or power outage, we would gather around the flashlight and tell stories. This is important to me because those stories must live on as they represent my family in so many ways!

• Your feelings if, upon arrival, you were told that you could only keep one personal item and have to give up the other two items you brought with you

I would be torn between choosing the family's photo album and jewelry box. I might even have a small tantrum! I would explain to whoever is at the gate that they can have my flashlight but I must keep my other items. Our family has already lost everything and I should be able to keep these two things as they are an important part of my life.   

• Any insights you gained about yourself, your family culture, diversity, and/or cultural differences in general, as a result of this exercise,

I think that often times we are not aware of how important something is to us until it is gone or we have to let it go.   I am giving my mother a 66th birthday party in a couple of weeks. Part of the process was to go through this album and pull out pictures for a slideshow that I am creating. Let me go back for a bit. Two years ago, a week before thanksgiving, I lost my only surviving grandparent. Since then, I have not had the strength nor the courage to look through the album. Well today I did! I laughed and cried. It brought back so many good memories I hold with my family and realized how much I missed doing this. Although my grandmother was not physically here to do this with me; she will forever live in my heart! 

When I Think of Research...

The main insight that I gained from this course is research may seem challenging but with the proper tools and planning in place, researchers are able to conquer their goal. There is a plethora of information as well as past researchers that can aid in conducting an unbiased and meaningful study. The materials that were provided to us each week also helped me to better understand building research competencies. Now that I have a better understudying of all of the aspects, it is easier to compose a research paper in the early childhood field.

After taking this course, my views on research simulation and process has changed. With guidance and resources, it is not as difficult as I previous thought prior to taking the course to generate a great research paper. If everyone works together involved in the research process, one can produce to best research that will uncover and allow everyone to have a better understanding to unanswered questions, and new knowledge and insights in the early childhood field. 

Lessons about planning, designing, and conducting research in early childhood that I learned is it is important to set aside a great amount of time and plan well. There are many steps and procedures that need to be implemented in order to effectively generate and produce a study. This means the entire process from planning to designing to conducting research should produce purposeful, well designed and credible research.

Because to process to conduct a study is so detailed, at times it was changeling for me to grasp some of the information within each chapter. I would find myself rereading some of the content in order to gain a better understanding. I would also use the class discussions, the teacher's feedback and the chart we gradually built each week to assist me.  

I would like to take this time to thank everyone in this class! Thank you for your responses, insights, and the opportunity to collaborate in various research issues. I have gained so much from this class!

Research Around the World

What are some of the current international research topics?

Some current international research topics are:

In Australia,

1. The rights and wellbeing of young children are at the forefront of social discourse and social policy.
2.  
3. Continuous improvement in the delivery of early childhood education and care.
4. The Early Childhood National Quality Reform Agenda continues to be implemented with increased public understanding and support.
5. Early childhood education and care is inclusive and effective across populations of vulnerable children. 
6. Early childhood education and care is provided by a qualified, specialized and skilled workforce

Taken from

(http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/our-work/early-childhood-australias-advocacy/)

In Africa,

1. Indigenous language, knowledge and play
2. 
   
3. Involvement of local communities, issues relating to parents, and local child rearing practices
4. 
   
5. Developmental assessment
6. 
   
7. Identification and inclusion of children with special needs

Taken from
(http://www.ecdvu.org/documents/ECDVU2013Newsletter_000.pdf)


What surprising facts/insights/new ideas about early childhood did you gain from exploring this international early childhood website?

According to the ECDVU News, the vast majority of materials available regarding child development and ECD are researched and authored outside of Africa—largely in the U.S(ECDVU, 2013). There are many countries like Africa have to outsource their information. The ECDVU also has interactive web-based course work as well as face-to-face seminars that lets their students have access and knowledge from other countries. Early childhood Australia focuses on the needs of children from birth to eight years old. The ECA values are based off of integrity, collaboration, leadership, inclusiveness and quality. It is also important to note that they acknowledge that strong pedagogical and courageous leadership is essential to support and promote the rights and voice of children (ECA, n.d.). Through the week's readings, it was very interesting to learn how other countries advocate and collaborate for the sake of small children.

 

What other noteworthy information did you find on this website?

After reviewing these sites, it is good to know other countries are placing a priority on young children's education and well being across the world. School teachers, students, and policy makers are putting in the effort to ensure that children are getting the best. 

References

ECA. (n.d.). Early Childhood Australia’s Advocacy - Early Childhood Australia. Retrieved from http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/our-work/early-childhood-australias-advocacy/

ECDVU. (2013). ECDVU News. Retrieved from http://www.ecdvu.org/documents/ECDVU2013Newsletter_000.pdf

Research that Benefits Children and Families—Uplifting Stories

Meet Timothy!

 He has been in our care for about four years. Over the years, I've watched him grow and mature into a handsome young man. He was diagnosed with high functioning autism before being enrolled in our center. When he first started, he had sensory issues and would not interact with others. He would also have meltdowns and outburst because he had problems expressing his emotions verbally. Due to this issues, his mother placed him in occupational therapy. Since then, I have noticed a difference in how he conducts himself. Now he understands how to use his words to express his feelings, as well as engage with other children in the center. His mother also explains that he is doing much better in school and has become less dependent on her. 

I found an interesting article entitled, Study Finds Sensory Integration Therapy Benefits Children with Autism. “This study is one of the first to show that therapy is an effective way to help ease such sensory difficulties and improves daily functions” (Autism Speaks, 2013). Although this study is not a new, it discusses how engaging with others can help with autism overall. "Sensory integration therapy, as practiced by occupational therapists, uses play activities in ways designed to change how the brain reacts to touch, sound, sight and movement" (Autism Speaks, 2013). The findings also revealed that they needed less assistance from their parents with self-care and in social environments (Autism Speaks, 2013). Studies like these help children, like Timothy, function more effectively in society. I personally believe that early intervention for children with disabilities create better outcomes for their future. 

Today, Timothy is twelve years old. He is a joy to be around. He loves to give hugs and makes sure I am living a healthy life like him. When the day comes that he will leave our center, I don't know what I am going to do because a piece of my heart will be gone!

Reference

Autism Speaks. (2013, December 3). Study Finds Sensory Integration Therapy Benefits Children  with Autism. Retrieved from https://www.autismspeaks.org/science/science-news/study-finds-sensory-integration-therapy-benefits-children-autism

My Personal Research Journey

The power of play in early childhood education has always been of great interest to me. I enjoy watching children explore, imagine, create and express themselves during play. Working with children for over ten years, I strongly believe that children in childcare settings should be allotted time to engage in various types of activities throughout the day. 

I am very excited and even more nervous to investigate this topic. The research chart and its guidelines given to us during the first week of class will help me with this journey. Although, each of us are studying a different topic, we may be able to help one another out with tips and strategies. I am here to be of any assistance to my fellow classmates. Being that this is all new to me, I do not have any resources to share at this time but as I come across useful information, I will share it with the class. I will gladly except any input my peers have to offer. 

Final Blog Assignment

Last week's response from my international contact:

     

1. Unfortunately nothing related to quality and early childhood professionals are being discussed here.

2. At my current school there are no opportunities or requirements for professional development. the teachers must research and seek out any professional development requirements to maintain their credential in their home state.

3. One of my professional goals is to continue my education and pursue a Masters degree in Physical Education
4. I hope to continue teaching overseas and learning more about different cultures. Some of the challenges that I face include: language, learning the language in the country I live in. Culture, adjusting to cultural difference and perspectives on things that are considered rude and offensive in America. Parent interactions, talking with parents who are not familiar with the American school system and how behaviors handled and classrooms are managed to facilitate their child's education. 

Kilah

Three consequences of learning about the international early childhood field for your professional and personal development:

1. Staying connected to our international contacts helps us as educators globally enhance our knowledge in this field. In this profession, it is vital that we stay abrupt on issues for the greater good of the child in our care. As professionals in the education field it is also our duty to be life long learners.
2. Sharing information with my contact from Germany, I learned the importance of integrating culture into my classroom. Today's class is so diverse and it is important to exchange stories and views to better understand backgrounds and build relationships with children and their families.
3. Every child matters all around the world. As educators, we must use our research and findings to help all children receive the education they deserve. 

I would love to one day join a global team that works on improving the school system in the early childhood field in different countries. This my include but is not limited to: working to produce high quality teachers and schools, developing standards and creating curriculums. 

Getting to Know Your International Contacts—Part 3

My international contact went out of town last week. I still want share the information she provided.  

"Well, the school that I currently work at is not accredited so, unfortunately, it answers to no one (educational governing body/authority). Due to this fact our teacher's meetings are different. The school has not adopted any content standards but the student materials address the basic standards to a certain degree. I, personally, have had discussions with my colleagues about the lack of standards and the resulting effects on their preparation for the next grade. I believe that content standards enable equality in the sense that every students learns the same material and is accountable for the same material. Content standards also make moves/transitions from one school to another smoother. We also discuss different resources and activities to differentiate instruction for our students to promote academic excellence. Unfortunately, these things are not discussed at our staff meetings. We, the teachers, must draw from our experiences from teaching in the United States to challenge our current students." -Kilah

She has not responded the this week's questions but when she does I will update my page.

The three insights I gained from this week's alternative assignment were:

1) Most websites and research that I have done since starting my degree states that early childhood is children ages birth to five. The UNESCO catergorizes children to the age of eight in early childhood.
2) UNESCO has a unique role to play in strengthening the foundations of lasting peace and equitable and sustainable development (UNESCO, 2014).
3) The UNESCO promotes peace and strives to build networks across the world.

References

http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/strengthening-education-systems/early-childhood/
  

Sharing Web Resources Continued

Part of becoming a productive early childhood professional involves having and utilizing resources that are readily available to us. Some outside websites resources I chose to take a closer look at were:

• Early Childhhood News: http://www.earlychildhoodnews.com

• Early Childhood Resource & Practice: http://www.ecrp.uiuc.edu/index.html

• Zero to Three: http://www.zerotothree.org

Each of these websites offered a plethora of information regarding various issues in early childhood education. 

In this month's newsletter for Early Childhood News; Respecting Infants & Toddlers for Best Practice by Terri Swim; she discusses ways to increase the positive and reduce the negative influences educators may have on children. "Demonstrating respect is not just about feeling good; for young children, it is about adults acting intentionally to promote optimal development and learning (Swim, n.d.)" We should provide response that allow children to make they own choices. This will helps them to build skills they need to think for themselves. As teachers, we should repeat their style of doing things. This promotes independence as well as strengthens confidence and self-esteem.  She also encourages educational professionals to listen to children with our eyes and hears (Swim, n.d.). In doing this we are allowed the opportunity to learn the child's areas of weakness and promote development. Lastly, it is important to aid in building children's social skills by paying attention to how children interact with one another. 

I receive the CCEI newsletter. Feburary's issue talks about children's heart health. This month is National Heart Month. Although many young children do not have heart problems, it is important to start them off with healthy eating habits and practices to ensure longevity. Schools and centers should serve healthy food and engage in some type of physical activity during the day. 

Both articles tie into what we are discussing this week; Excellence and Equity of Care and Education for Children and Families. Children in our care should be surround by quality child care professionals who have the child's best interest at heart. Children should have access and be exposed to educators who want to help build skills and respect each child's differences. Introducing children to healthy eating habits and exercise is also vital in promoting excellence in child care. 

The week I learned that these websites offer information to educational professionals for any branch of this field. Ongoing training, classes and educational websites helps professionals like ourselves stay abreast to standards and techniques need to promote excellence and equity of care and education for young children and their families. 

Resources

Heart Healthy Habits for Children | February 2016 CCEI Newsletter. (2016, February). Retrieved from http://www.cceionline.com/newsletters/February_16.html

Katz, L. (2015, August 6). ECRP Spring 2015. Retrieved February 13, 2016, from http://www.ecrp.uiuc.edu/v17n1/index.html

Swim, T. (n.d.). Respecting Infants & Toddlers: Strategies for Best Practice. Retrieved from http://www.earlychildhoodnews.com/earlychildhood/article_home.aspx?ArticleID=468

ZERO TO THREE: Homepage. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.zerotothree.org

Getting to Know Your International Contacts—Part 2

Unfortunately, I was unable to get in touch with my international contact from Germany. So I decided to listen to a podcast and visit the Harvard website. 

I chose the NAEYC podcast entitled, How Federal Policies Affect Early Childhood Education. Adele Robinson explains that the government has a strong impact on our field. The Federal government makes sure that the states have funding for early childhood education. This benefits all children, not just low income families. Federal dollars pay for state licensing visits to all centers who serve children, state training, and access to resources. It also helps early childhood educators by providing them with finical aid if they need it to help them obtain their degree. Although federal funding helps young children especially between birth and five years old, each state mainly regulates how and where the money is spent. This is why it is important to express to policy markers the importance of how and what to support in order to benefit to the child. 

The Harvard website lists the propositions guide the Center’s international work:

• Coordinated strategies to support child development can multiply the effects of investments in child survival, health, education, and economic development.

• We need to protect children from significant adversity, in addition to providing them with enriched learning opportunities.

• The early childhood years are critical building blocks for lifelong health, not just school readiness.

The NAEYC podcast and Harvard's website are both focusing on ways in which funding will help young children receive the start they deserve. Making sure policy makers and leaders have the child's best interest at heart is our main concern. This is a global issues "Recent reports estimate that 200 million children fail to reach their full developmental potential by age 5 (Harvard, n.d.)." Advocates role in seeing the funding is properly placed and used is vital in this field. 

References

Harvard. (n.d.). Working Globally - Center on the Developing Child. Retrieved from http://developingchild.harvard.edu/about/what-we-do/global-work/

NAEYC. (n.d.). NAEYC Radio | National Association for the Education of Young Children | NAEYC. Retrieved from http://www.naeyc.org/newsroom/NAEYCradio

Sharing Web Resources

The website I chose to following is the CCEI (Child Care Education Institute). 

The information that I particularly found relevant to my current professional development was from this month's newsletter, Technology and Interactive media in the classroom. Our center recently purchased a Smart Board. This is an interactive whiteboard. "SMART solutions offer teachers multiple ways to get young students excited about learning and prepare them for a lifetime of achievement in school and beyond" (Smart, n.d.). We now live in a technology based world, therefore, it is important to integrate computers, smart boards, tablets and other devices in early childhood classrooms. 

The article on Science in early childhood classrooms made me understand the value discovery has on young children. Science education encourages exploration, experimentation, and observation (CCEI, 2015). Children as early as birth are natural born observers. They are constantly looking for things to explore. Last June's issue goes on to explain that early childhood professionals must recognize and take advantage of these natural characteristics, providing appropriate guidance and experiences to help young learners expand their knowledge and skills(CCEI, 2015). Young children are also natural born investigators  constantly asking questions that begin with what, how, why, who and where. These are great opportunities to integrate scientific questions and lessons. After reading this article, I am inspired to incorporate more hands on science activities in my planning.

In CCEI's volume 9, issue 12 newsletter, New Federal Law Brings Important Changes and Improvements, the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) Act of 2014, will have a substantial impact on access to quality care for millions of working families across the country (CCEI, 2014). This means that grants were funded to state to safeguard the health and safety of children, improve program quality, help families who receive assistance, and overall strengthen early education and care of children (CCEI, 2014). This article may be a little outdated but is it great to know that politicians are working together and more funding is readily available for states. 

 

Other new insights I gained was in October's Newsletter, CCEI talks about SIDS. "Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is the sudden, unexplained death of an infant younger than one year old" (CCEI, 2015). I was surprised to learn that at least 1 out of 5 cases of SIDS in the U.S. occur in child care centers (CCEI, 2015). Although this has never occurred in our center, I believe it is important to receive the proper training in reducing the risk of SIDS. According to this article, many states have begun to require training on SIDS even though there are many mysteries as to why "crib death" happens. "Infant caregivers should already be aware of these basic practices: put infants to sleep on their backs; no blankets, sheets, or plush toys in the bed; do not swath infant too tightly in blanket or layers of clothing; and do not smoke near infants" (CCEI, 2015). Educators as well as parents of infants should be aware of this term and informed on ways to reduce the risk. 

References

CCEI. (2014). Newsletter Archive of Monthly Online Child Care Training Newsletters. Retrieved from http://www.cceionline.edu/index.cfm?id=56

CCEI. (2015). Newsletter Archive of Monthly Online Child Care Training Newsletters. Retrieved from http://www.cceionline.edu/index.cfm?id=56

SMART. (n.d.). Early Childhood - SMART - American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Retrieved from http://vault.smarttech.com/stimulus/early-childhood.asp